Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday addressed former President Donald Trump’s latest assaults towards him.
The governor has been floated as one of many key challengers Trump is prone to face in his bid to safe the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
DeSantis interrupted a reporter who introduced up Trump’s newest criticisms of him, together with about his COVID-19 document.
“What I might simply say is that this: I roll off the bed, I’ve individuals attacking me from all angles, it’s been taking place for a lot of, a few years,” DeSantis stated throughout a press convention with out particularly calling out Trump.
DeSantis added that individuals ultimately get to evaluate an elected official’s efficiency throughout a disaster just like the COVID-19 pandemic once they solid their votes.
“The nice factor is, is that the persons are in a position to render a judgment on that whether or not they reelect you or not,” he stated. “And I’m completely satisfied to say, in my case, not solely did we win reelection, we received with the very best proportion of the vote that any Republican governor candidate has within the historical past of the state of Florida.”
DeSantis received reelection in November by virtually 20 proportion factors.
Trump, quite the opposite, was voted out of workplace in 2020 however by no means accepted the end result, and has continued spreading election lies.
Trump has taken credit score for DeSantis’ ascent to the governor’s workplace in Florida, and has claimed it might be “very disloyal” of DeSantis to problem him in 2024. The previous president additionally disputed polling displaying DeSantis having an edge in some states.
Some GOP senators although seem supportive of a DeSantis candidacy.
“It appears to be like to me like he’s polling nicely. I feel we’d like some new blood and I feel he’d in all probability qualify,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) stated, in response to The Hill.
DeSantis, who has but to declare his intention to affix the race, gained traction on the fitting over his dealing with of COVID-19.
However Trump disagrees, accusing the governor of “making an attempt to rewrite historical past on COVID.”
“There are Republican governors that didn’t shut their states,” Trump stated Saturday, in response to CNN. “Florida was closed for an extended time frame.”
DeSantis was one of many final governors within the nation to institute a statewide lockdown in April 2020. However, by September of that yr, he ordered bars and eating places to open and stated he wouldn’t reinstate COVID-19 restrictions.
His state was additionally one of many first to open colleges again up for in-person studying in August 2020 regardless of COVID-19 circumstances rising quickly. There have been almost 85,000 recorded COVID-19 deaths in Florida.
DeSantis final month stated he’s looking for to completely ban masks and vaccine mandates within the state.
This comes as extra candidates are anticipated to throw their hat within the ring.
Nikki Haley is reportedly anticipated to announce her bid for the presidency on Feb. 15, in Charleston, South Carolina, which might make her the primary to brazenly problem Trump.